Ever wondered what it would be like to walk around on Mars?

Schools around the globe will be celebrating World Space Week 2018, which begins on Thursday on 4th October.

World Space Week is the largest public space event on Earth with more than 3,700 events in 80 countries.

The 2018 theme of “Space Unites The World” seeks to be an "...international celebration of the contribution of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition. "

It's the perfect time to study space, its exploration, and our place in the universe.

We’ve got a galaxy’s worth of classroom Space resources on both BrainPOP Jr. and BrainPOP to bring your lessons to life.

Subscribers can log in and start exploring right away (don’t have a password? Request a free trial). You’ll find a huge range of materials on a diverse set of topics from Jupiter to comets to Moon phases.

Mars is one of our most popular subjects so we thought it might be useful to give away a 3 part series of lesson ideas to support teaching about the famous Red Planet.

Summer's here! The sun is out (probably) and gardens are blossoming into their very best.

But did you know how much science is happening in your garden? Whether you have a window box or a hundred acres, let's take a STEM look at what's going on in your very own ecosystem...

Plant life

Seed Plants and Seedless plants are what makes your garden beautiful and green. Compare and contrast these two types of plants, how they reproduce, and learn key vocabulary such as 'spore', 'angiosperm' and 'vascular'.

Fungi - Explore the diverse Fungi kingdom, and discover the unique characteristics that set the 1.5 million species of mold, yeast, and mushrooms apart from all other organisms. Learn how fungi grow, feed, and reproduce, and what they look like when they’re above ground. And explore the many roles fungi play in the ecosystems around us--in our soil, in our kitchens, and even in our bodies.

Carnivorous plants - we mustn't forget plants we grow in greenhouses and windowsills! Learn where these meat-eating marvels live, and how their habitats have shaped their special diets, and the difference between passive and active trapping techniques.

Soil (BrainPOP Jr.) - What's in all the different layers of soil? What does it provide to your garden, its plants, and insects?

Minibeasts and creepy crawlies

Ants - Our characters, Tim and Moby, introduce your class to the intricate world of ants. Find out about the other insects ants are related to, learn the parts of an ant’s body, discover the different jobs that ants can do, and which members of the ant colony live the longest and shortest.

Honey Bees - Discover what makes a honeybee different from other bees and what their body structure is like. You’ll also learn about the three different categories of honeybee — worker, queen, and drone — as well as how these creatures work together to keep their hives bustling all year long.

Spiders - Learn about spiders’ body parts, their silk, and spider venom and poison. Maybe spiders won’t seem so scary once you learn about all the good things they do for your house and garden!

Maths

Fibonacci sequence - Explore the beauty of maths by discovering how this fascinating concept occurs in nature. Probably even in your garden - try growing a sunflower!

Flower Power - In this learning game, students must use their knowledge of fractions and decimals to make as much money as possible through growing and harvesting valuable and exotic flowers.

The science around your garden

Photosynthesis - Learn what makes plants green, how plants make their own food, and what an important role the sun plays in photosynthesis.

Metamorphosis - Learn which creatures go through different kinds of metamorphoses, plus the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis.

Pollination - Find out how flowers reproduce by pollination and fertilization as you discover why lots of new flowers can pop up from just a few seeds. See how new seeds form, how pollen can travel, and how to identify the reproductive parts of a plant.

Plant growth - learn why flowers grow on apple trees, and how plants reproduce through pollination. Find out the parts of a flower and what each part does, as well as how insects help in the reproduction process.

Please note some of these resources require a username and password to access. If you are not a subscriber then please request a free trial.